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WILKES-BARRE — He’s only 10 years old, but already Nicholas Werner has established himself as a skilled golfer.

Earlier this year, the fifth grader at St. Nicholas-St. Mary’s School traveled to Scotland and finished 28th in his age group at the U.S. Kids Golf European Championship.

In September, he also made it to the regional finals of the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship at the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.

“That was a pretty good accomplishment, just because the competition is so good,” his father Joe Werner, of Wilkes-Barre, said recently at the Wyoming Valley Country Club.

Nicholas got his start in golfing as a toddler — his father said he was able to hit a golf ball when he was only 2 years old. As a young boy watching his father play, Nicholas decided to give it a try and took right to it, he said.

“It turns out now it’s a good sport for me, and I play it a lot,” Nicholas said.

Nicholas began playing competitively when he was 6 years old, and so far has won 22 championships, he said. His accomplishments include winning competitions at the Wyoming Valley Country Club, and shooting a 74 during a competitive tournament in Ohio.

He says professional golfers motivate him to succeed and that he enjoys the feeling that comes with a round well-played.

“If you make a few birdies on that round, you feel really good,” Nicholas said. “If you don’t, it’s hard to motivate yourself back up, but yet you get it by the next round.”

When he feels like giving up, he reminds himself that he can always come back for a strong finish if he keeps trying, he said. His advice to others?

“They should just keep on going for it, no matter how the time’s going,” Nicholas said. “If you’re not hitting the ball well, if it’s a cut or a pole hook, then just work really hard to get it out of that direction.”

Contact the writer:

jhalpin@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2058

Joe Werner, father

What successful parenting strategy can you share with other parents?

“Try to make it as fun as you possibly can. And that’s a challenge. That’s not always easy.”

At what moment did you realize your child was special?

“When he was 2 he was able to hit the ball. I have a picture of him at 2½ here (at the Wyoming Valley Country Club) on this first hole. He’s been honestly been coming here since he’s 2½ hitting balls, so I knew he had really good hand-eye coordination at that point.”

What is the greatest challenge you’ve encountered in raising your child?

“Sometimes you have to remember you’re a father first and not a fan. ... You have to remember that he’s only 7, 8, 9, 10 years old and you can’t be a fan. You’ve got to be a dad, and that was a lesson I had to learn. It’s not easy to do. Because I caddy for him most of the time, and if it starts going downhill, it’s easy to fall into fan mode and not dad mode. And you’ve got to remember sometimes that that’s the most important thing.”